Frankincense
Follow the star, come join in the fun!
Christmas is coming, the countdown’s begun…
The star led them to worship right under its glow,
Frankincense on day twenty-two a holy child shows.
Read
“On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”
– Matthew 2.11-12
Think and Do
Incense is a kind of spice which comes in grains which are burned. The smoke and the smell both rise up. Incense has been used like this in worship for a long time as a symbol of prayers rising up to God. The wise men’s gift of incense showed that Jesus would lead people to God, too.
Use some different objects to help you with prayer today. You might try something you can touch, something you can see, something you can hear, something you can smell and something you can taste.
Pray
Dear God, thank you for our five senses which help us experience the world. Help us to come close to you as we touch, see, hear, smell and taste. Amen.
Follow
When you use your sense of smell today, remember the frankincense and imagine the rich, sweet smell of smoke rising in the air.